Clothes-line holder.



1 1. B. SHREVE. I CLOTHES LINE HOLDER. APPLIOATIGH FILED OQT. 22,1908.

Patented June 15, 1909.

- it is intended, but whic HARRY B. SHREVE, OF GALESBURG, ILLINOIS.

CLOTHES-LINE HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1909.

Application filed October 22, 1908. Serial No. 459,038.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY B. Snnnvn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galosburg, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Clothes-Line Holder, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices which are attachable to a post, building or other support to automatically but releasably clutch a clothes-line or the like.

The objects of the invention are to furnish a device of the character described which is not only effective for the purpose for which is economic of manufacture, readily, but with unusual socurity attachable to the means which su por}t1s it, which may be manufactured in sac and W ich is so small and light in weight that it is inexpensive as regards shipment.-

In order that the invention may be fully understood I have in the accompanying drawings illustrated it inboth its assembled and disassembled positions and in the best way now known to me. I

n said drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation, a fragmental portion of a clothes-line engaged by the clutch, as in o oration, and the horizontal ortion of the bight of which line is sup osed to be elsewhere secured Fig. 2, a top pan, the parts occupying the same relative positions as at Fig. 1; Fi 3, a front elevation of the base plate and h Fig. 4, 'a detail, a side elevation of the gravityarm; Fig. 5, a detail, a side elevation of the cam clutch-member; and Fig. 6, a detail, an and elevation of the gravity-arm.

From the statement of the objects of the invention and from an inspection of the draw ings it will be apparent that l have sought to provide a device a portion of which coinprises a book which partakes of the nature of a pulley over which the line may be drawn very taut, and which hook further serves as the stationary one of the clutch n'ieinbers.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, 2

indicates a quadruple-armed base or supporting plate, each of its armsprovidcd wit 1 an aperture 3 for the reception of one of the screws by which it is ordinarily secured to its su iport. It will be evident that the polygonal arms furnish a very effective means for such sccurement, inasmuch as caclf'acts as a brace when another is made to take a major part of the strain as the line is drawn upon 'vided with an arts that it may be easily assembled,"

ook only from an angle. The plate 2 is provided with a rectangular, countersunk central aperture 4 which receives the reduccd 'end' 5 of the stem 6, the other end of which is r'eflexed to form a hook 7.

8--8 are shoulders resting about the aperture 4., Near the longitudinal central portion of the member dis a pivot-aperture 9 for a purpose presently described.

Projecting laterally from one endof an arm 10, at the other end of which is acounterweight 11, is a pivot-pin 12, the extremity of which is flattened on one sideas shown best at 13, Fig. 6. The cam, or cam-clutch member, comprises a segment having a serrated and preferably mitcred face 14, and is proaperture which corresponds in outline to the cross section of the extremity 13 of the in.

In assembling the device the reduced portion 5 is seated within the aperture 4 in the base and is held therein by rivetin the countersink at the rear ermitting 0 flush uniting of the parts. T e pivot-pin 12 is then passed through the aperture 9 and the extension 13, which performs the function of a key, seated in the aperture 15 in the cam, whereuponit maybe riveted to form a head 16.

In operation, the'device having been secured in place, the free end of the weighted, or gravit arm, is slightly elevated to permit the bight of a line to be placed in the hook 7, whereupon said arm is permitted to fall. The operator by drawing on the lower, (or, as shown, horiaontah) portion, will cause the line to contact the roughened Face of the cam, whereby the latter will be drawn, downwardly to lessen the distance between it and the hook and clutch the line in an evident manner. This operation will be understood as having been performed as illustrated at'Fig. I, and

the other end. of thehorizontal portion elsei where secured to a similar'holder, the line being secured in the last recited one'by passing the free end of the line upwardly through the hook, drawing it taut and then releasing it, WliCl'OU')OI1 the cam will fall by its own weight or by the weight of the means which aids to actuate it, and which means may be other than the gravity arm, and firmly grasp the line, the tension thereof i)(lilgitll that is rer uired to eflect security. a

t will be clear that, the more the strain on the taut portion oi the line, the greater will be the force exerted by'the cam. It will be also clear that there is no limit to the number of holders which might be used on a single line. Moreover, its use in numerous other places than on clothes-lines will be manifest, the number of such uses being limited only by the number of places where taut lines are eluding a plurality of arms extending at right angles to each other, and having a centrally disposed countersunk aperture, a stem including aho'ok and a reduced portion, the

latter riveted in said countersink to form a flush jointure, said stem provided with a pivot-aperture, a weighted arni including a lateral extension. the end of which constitutes a key, pivoted in said aperture, and a carnshaped segment keyed on said extension and adapted to cooperate with said hook to engage a line.

2. In a line-holder, a base-plate, a stem projecting at a right angle therefrom and including a hook at its outer end, said hook adapted to act as a pulley over which the line inay be drawn in either direction to tension it, and said hook acting also in another capacity as a clutch member, an actuatinglever includingan integral pivot-pin fulcrunied about the midlength ol' sa1d stem, and a miter-faced segment fixed on the projecting end of said stem and adapted to act as the other member of the clutch and to coact with said hook to grasp a line therebetween. I

In testimony that'I claim the foregoing as my invention .l hereto affix my name in presence of two witnesses, this 29th day of Sep- 45" tember, 1968, at Galesburg, Illinois.

- HARRY B. SHREVE. Witnesses:

H. M. Ricrmnns,

Wane A. HERLOOKER. 

